Element from a Stalactite Squinch (Muqarnas)
Probably originally part of a muqarnas, or stalactite squinch, this and other muqarnas elements would have been stacked, in descending size, in the upper corner of a room in order to make the transition to a dome. This, together with objects 38.40.249–38.40.251 are among the earliest known examples of muqarnas, a feature that became quite popular in Islamic architecture in subsequent centuries. The painting on these elements is intriguing, with disembodied eyes that peer out from the vegetal decoration.
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